If you go to prison and get beaten to death by an old man, maybe you didn’t deserve to live.
As Japanese society ages, other problems occur besides the stress that is being put on the social security system and lack of workers. An older society can mean that the mean age with a problem of some sort is also rising. There are two main areas where this is occurring right now.
Prison. When John Milton wrote Paradise Lost he wasn’t talking about a literal heaven, but, in actuality, Japanese prisons. Japanese prisons are not filled with danger, but sunshine and farts. They’ve read and learned from previous commentators (You can judge a society by its prisoners) and studies and have set up a prison system that is considered the best in the world. Ha. If only that were true. Japan must be taking notes from the wonderfully run American system that helps train criminals at their craft when they incarcerate them. If only someone would have thought of treating prisoners humanely so that they could at least try to have a chance to reintegrate into normal society.
You are going to be someone’s bitch… in Shogi.
Anyway, these heavens on earth are having to deal with an older prison population and what that means. I’m not exactly sure what they do for older people in Japanese prison (I only look elderly), but it probably involves lots of complaining and yearning for the prison days when they used real shivs, not these plastic crap ones made in China. I have to wonder if prisoners still do the same things they did at 30 that they do when they’re 60. It would make a good TV show. It’s not like there’s anything else on.
Homelessness. It’s always great to meet the winners of the “Win a life on the street” game, such great luck they have. The thing is, the reason why they’re out on the street is not always what you’d expect. Usually people think it’s drugs or mental illness. However, given the ageism of Japan, sometimes a loner needs to find a job and no one will hire then because of their age. What are they supposed to do? Apparently the answer is, if you live alone, to accept your fate and go live in a box on the street. Such a glorious life, no?
Who really knows if Japan is actually going to anything about (sometimes) treating old people like crap or if old people will ever stop complaining and giving people mean stares (probably never). The main point of the past couple days is this, being in Japan when you’re old can be a bitch. For those reading, check the weather reports to make sure there are not time anomalies and when in Japan, be on the lookout for anyone carrying handheld time distortion devices.
